Casting Notices: Robert Patrick in Gangster Squad, Kevin Bacon in RIPD, and Two More for Pacific Rim

Bryan Cranston is one busy man, which is probably why he’s had to drop out of Ruben Fleischer’s 1940s-set crime film “The Gangster Squad”. Have no fear, though, a Terminator has taken his lace: Robert Patrick is currently in negotiations to take over the Cranston part, joining a cast that includes Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Michael Pena and Anthony Mackie, with Emma Stone also recently in talks to join as the female lead.

Patrick would play a cop name Max Kennard, who is described as “a laconic LAPD officer from Texas who ambitiously enforces the law.” Yeah, he’s not just a maverick cop, he’s one that “ambitiously” enforces the law. I have no idea what that means, either.

The film finds Gosling, Patrick, and company playing 1940s-era Los Angeles cops who try to keep the East Coast mob out of their coast.

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Over at undeadland, Kevin Bacon has set his sights on playing the main bad guy in the comic book adaptation by Robert Schwentke that’s set to star Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges.

Based on Peter Lenkov’s comic book, “R.I.P.D.” will star Reynolds as a cop murdered in the line of duty, who continues his law career as an undead cop of the supernatural and what have you. He’s partnered up with Bridges’ character, who is much older than he is. Besides doing his duties as a cop, our hero also tries to find the man who murdered him.

Bacon would play the main villain, his second comic book bad guy if signs on, following his turn as the evil Sebastian Shaw in Matthew Vaughn’s “X-Men: First Class”. I guess after you’ve played so many good guys, going bad is kinda fun.